A home near Kyiv suffered severe damage after a Russian drone attack overnight. REUTERS
Russia’s Largest Drone Attack Hits Ukraine
Russia launched its biggest drone strike on Ukraine since the war began. Ukraine’s military said the attack happened overnight. They said Russia sent 273 drones, mostly targeting the Kyiv area. A 28-year-old woman died, and three others were hurt, including a 4-year-old child.
The attack came just before a planned phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said he would speak with Putin on Monday.
Failed Peace Talks and Rising Tensions
Putin ignored earlier calls from Washington and Kyiv for a 30-day ceasefire. He also refused to meet Ukraine’s President Zelensky face-to-face in Istanbul last week. Trump said he does not expect any major progress on peace until he talks with Putin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed they were preparing for the phone call. Meanwhile, Trump’s patience with Putin seems to be running out. Finland’s President Alexander Stubb said Trump is getting frustrated, while Zelensky remains patient.
Ongoing Fighting in Eastern Ukraine
Russian shelling killed one person and injured eight in the Donetsk region. Russian drones also attacked the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in southern Ukraine. Moscow’s defense ministry said Russian forces shot down 75 Ukrainian drones in the past day.
A firefighter worked at a site hit by a Russian drone near Kyiv.
A Week of Back-and-Forth Conflict and Talks
This attack followed a drone strike on a bus in Ukraine’s Sumy region, killing at least nine people. This happened just hours after Ukraine and Russia held their first direct peace talks since the war started in 2022.
The talks in Turkey did not lead to a big breakthrough. They discussed a possible meeting between presidents, a ceasefire, and a prisoner swap. Putin wanted a face-to-face meeting but did not attend. He sent a junior team instead and rejected Ukraine’s offer of a 30-day ceasefire.
During talks, Russia demanded Ukraine give up land still controlled by Kyiv. Ukraine quickly rejected this. Leaders from the UK, France, Germany, and Poland called Russia’s demands “unacceptable.”
Putin’s Unchanged Stance
Putin appeared in a recent interview on Russian state media. He said he wanted to “eliminate” the causes of the conflict. The interview was filmed in March but released now, showing Russia’s position has not changed before future talks.
Zelensky’s Meeting with US Officials
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Zelensky met US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Italy. Zelensky said the meeting was “good.” They talked about the recent peace talks, sanctions on Russia, the battle situation, and prisoner swaps.
This was Zelensky’s first meeting with Vance since a tense moment in February when Vance criticized Zelensky for not showing enough thanks for US help.
